The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-19
CArTAlN lads.

Hazard, Captain Eads' daughter, dated at
Nassau Saturday last, in which Captain
Eads was said to bc suffering from cOnges-
tion OF tho lungs and to be so low that there
was little likelihood Of his recovery.
Captain Eads took heavy cold last De
cember and went to Lakewood, N. j.,
whore his health was improving when he
was called to Warrington on business con-
nected with the Tchuantcpec Ship hallway
bill. He returned to New York January
% 80 feeble that DR.. Helmulth at once Or
dered him to Nassau, and he sailed for tho
Bahamas February with his wife and
Mrs. Hazard.
captain james d. Eads was sixty-seven
years of agc. Rs was born in Lawrenceburg,
Ind, May 2a- 1880, and with his parents went TO
St. Louis In 1885, He was emphaticaliy q self
nude man, having left school OF the age OF thr
teen, at which age he began ~ clerk In n dry
goods store. He evinced disposition to be
IN engineer while In this business. All his
spare time was devoted 10 mathematics
pertaining 70 the objOOt which he had re-
solved TO muster. In 1St2 he eonstructcd q div
inr-bell boat to recover cargoos Of sunkcn
steamers In 1919 he crected vt St. Louis the
first glass works west Of the Ohio river. In
1886 he mnde II proposition to the Government
10 remove tho snags and wrecks which then
Obstructed tho channels Of the Mississippi.
OHIO and Arkansas rivers. This passed the
lower branch OF Congress In 1887, but vnnt
Of time prevented 0otion by the Senate
On the invitation, IN 1881, OF President Lin
coin, Mr.. Eads designed aud oonstracted
o powerful squadron OF eight steamers de.
signed for use on the Mississippi, having
o spcod Of nine knots an hour, and sggre-
eating 5000 tone. These were ready, fully
equipped and plated, within ND Aays from the
time he YooAivod notice TO DO the work. They
werO the GrsS iron-olad vessVls constructed BY
the Government. In 1919 he designed and
constructed six turreted iron vessels, all hcsvi.
ly plated In ls87-74 he designed aud construct
Cd tho grcns steelarched bridge over the Mis-
sissippi river at 81 Lou!s- This work is re-
nowned among tho groos engineoring feats OF
the century, cad its constructton was regarded
st the time By soicatihs mon % the solution OF
greIt problem IN the engineering world.
The erowning work Of his life was that OF
deepening she m>usa OF tho Ms ,i,sipA rivor
This was In 1874. His plans for this work met
with strenuous opposition from Government
| engineers, but Captain E.stis succeeded in hav-
ing them adopted by proposing TO do tho work
without remuneration until he showed Congress
that his work was accomplished and practical.
Permission was granted in 1875. and In June OF
| that year tho construction Of what was then and
| Is still known rs the 'jett,cs" was Begin, and
the completion OF the work as hs had planned
| 1t was accomplished.
In 1879 Mr.. Eads proposed his ship railway
ncross the American isthmus. II Is faraliarly
| known to tho American public as the Tohuante.
pee or Nicaragua Ship railway. The schomo
/ received the Endorsement OF Congress during
\ the session just closed. In tho moath OF Au-
! gust, 1884, he was awarded the Albert medal by
| the Society Of Arts in England, In recognition
| OF the valuable aid which his services have reD-
~ rod to the commerce OF the world.